Mephisto 2968 – by Don Manley

I found this on the easy side but with one clue not fully parsed – 19A. I surprised myself by knowing both the name of a pop group and of a tennis player from yester-year; the distiller was less of a surprise – can’t think why!

The clues from the puzzle are reproduced with definitions underlined followed by the answer; parsing

Across

1 Dull book hack put out (4)

MATT; MATT(hew);

4   European region in which to get intradermal sedative (8)

THRIDACE; THR(ID)ACE; intradermal=ID;

11 React furiously about money paid for units under flood? (8)

ACRE-FEET; (react)* surrounds FEE;

12 Old distiller making money in Greece once (5)

OBOLS; O-BOLS; BOLS is a trade name – they famously make advocaat;

14 Group in small valley (5)

SLADE; two meanings 1=pop group 2=small valley;

15 Primate organised Eucharist, having introduced plan (12)

RAMAPITHECUS; (eucharist)* surrounds MAP;

17 Architectural feature within elegant atrium (4)

ANTA; hidden (eleg)ANT-A(trium);

19 Leaders are excessively preoccupied, cycling round after setback (6)

BOSSES; I’m guessing excessively preoccupy=obsess then reverse “ob” and reverse “sses” but can’t claim to fully understand this wordplay;

20 Country pillar beside the Roman way (6)

LATVIA; LAT-VIA;

21 Governor heading off across street in coat (6)

ULSTER; (r)UL(ST)ER;

23 Identity given to workers — they were deemed to be in cells (6)

IDANTS; ID-ANTS;

25 Expression of surprise about hard butter (4)

GHEE; G(H)EE;

27 Franciscan old boy, one labouring in East (12)

OBSERVANTINE; OB-SERVANT-IN-E;

28 Don’t hesitate to employ a heavy blow (5)

DOUSE; DO-USE;

29 Time is given to religious instruction in part of Jewish calendar (5)

TISRI; T-IS-RI;

30 Wind rages furiously across estuary (8)

ARGESTES; (rages)* surrounds EST=estuary;

31 Places of torture using whips when army moves in (8)

CATASTAS; CAT(AS-TA)S; when=AS;

32 Straw left in meat (4)

HALM; HA(L)M;

Down

1 NZ insect, a yellow one joining bee in cup (8, two words)

MAORI,BUG; M(A-OR-I-B)UG; bee=B;

2   A blast comes from one President needing a change of heart (5)

TROMP; change Trump to TROMP;

3   Abnormal awareness of a lie — the asset seen as extraordinary (12)

TELAESTHESIA; (a lie the asset)*;

5   A god rising in the earth, what? (6)

HELIOS; SOIL-EH reversed;

6 Let a group of children talk (6)

RENTAL; hidden (child)REN-TAL(k);

7   Awfully thin ladies keeping off booze, affecting to be arty (12)

DILETTANTISH; (thin ladies)* surround TT;

8 Bill appearing in Syrian cloth made from plant fibre (5)

ABACA; AB(AC)A; Syrian cloth=ABA;

9   Senility of dishonourable man descending on university — Oxford maybe (8)

CADUCITY; CAD-U-CITY;

10 Financial allowances for divorcees? (4)

EXES; two meanings 1=expenses 2=divorces;

13 Divine Scottish area about to be sealed off (4)

SPAE; SPA(c)E;

16 Optical problem puts wolf into unconscious state (8)

COLOBOMA; CO(LOBO)MA:

18 Class prejudice? Sect aims to reform (8)

CASTEISM; (sect aims)*;

22 Russia’s No 1 female tennis player makes return (6)

REVERT; R(ussia)-EVERT; reference Christine Evert, retired tennis champion;

23 Fish? One Indian snake eats any number (6)

INANGA; I-NA(N)GA; Indian snake=NAGA;

24 Disease of sheep getting dingy over time (4)

DUNT; DUN-T;

25 Habit of one elevated as fool holding America up (5)

G-SUIT; G(US reversed)IT;

26 Prospect of saint in the middle of life (5)

VISTA; VI(S)TA;

27 Poem’s found to be offensive, not half, by Catholic (4)

ODIC; ODI(ous)-C;